Each autumn, the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF) hold Annual Meetings to discuss a range of issues related to poverty reduction, international economic development and finance. The Annual Meetings provide a forum for international cooperation and enable the Bank and Fund to better serve their member countries.
The Annual Meetings traditionally are held in Washington two years out of three and, in order to reflect the international character of the two institutions, every third year in a different member country. In addition to the meetings of the Boards of Governors, the Development Committee and the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) are officially convened. The Development Committee and the IMFC advise the Boards of Governors on issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, poverty eradication, economic development, and aid effectiveness.
Around these meetings, the Bank and the IMF organize a number of fora to facilitate the interaction of governments and World Bank-IMF staff with civil society organizations, journalists, private sector executives, academics and representatives of other international organizations. Indeed, every effort is made to ensure that the Annual Meetings provide an effective forum for explaining to the public -- directly and through the media -- the activities, challenges and achievements of both institutions. The meetings also aim to open up the meetings to the public through live-streamed events and online conversations on World Bank Live, Twitter and other platforms.
About 10,000 people attend the meetings, including about 3,500 members of delegations from the member countries of the Bank and the IMF, roughly 1,000 representatives of the media, and more than 5,000 visitors and special guests drawn primarily from private business, the banking community and NGOs. In addition, Bank and IMF staff participate in the meetings with officials of government delegations.
At each Spring and Annual Meetings, the joint Bank-IMF Development Committee and the IMF's International Monetary and Financial Committee hold meetings to discuss progress on the work of the Bank and Fund. Also featured are seminars, regional briefings and press conferences, focused on the global economy, international development, and the world’s financial markets. Plenary sessions of the World Bank and the IMF's Boards of Governors are only scheduled during the Annual Meetings in the autumn.